Michelle Hurst (born June 1, 1953) is an
American
American(s) may refer to:
* American, something of, from, or related to the United States of America, commonly known as the "United States" or "America"
** Americans, citizens and nationals of the United States of America
** American ancestry, pe ...
actress. She played
Miss Claudette Pelage in the first season of the
streaming television
Streaming television is the digital distribution of television content, such as TV shows, as streaming media delivered over the Internet. Streaming television stands in contrast to dedicated terrestrial television delivered by over-the-air aer ...
series ''
Orange Is the New Black
''Orange Is the New Black'' (sometimes abbreviated to ''OITNB'') is an American comedy-drama streaming television series created by Jenji Kohan for Netflix. The series is based on Piper Kerman's memoir '' Orange Is the New Black: My Year in a Wo ...
''.
Life and career
Hurst was born in
Brooklyn
Brooklyn () is a borough of New York City, coextensive with Kings County, in the U.S. state of New York. Kings County is the most populous county in the State of New York, and the second-most densely populated county in the United States, be ...
, New York. She graduated from
Mount Holyoke College
Mount Holyoke College is a private liberal arts women's college in South Hadley, Massachusetts. It is the oldest member of the historic Seven Sisters colleges, a group of elite historically women's colleges in the Northeastern United States.
...
in 1974. She began her career in theatre, and in the 1990s began appearing in television and film. Hurst is known for her multiple roles in various ''
Law & Order
''Law & Order'' is an American police procedural and legal drama television series created by Dick Wolf and produced by Wolf Entertainment, launching the '' Law & Order'' franchise.
''Law & Order'' aired its entire run on NBC, premiering on ...
'' television shows. She co-starred in films like ''
Airheads
''Airheads'' is a 1994 American comedy film written by Rich Wilkes, directed by Michael Lehmann, and starring Brendan Fraser, Steve Buscemi, Adam Sandler, Chris Farley, Ernie Hudson, Michael McKean, Judd Nelson, Michael Richards, Amy Locane and ...
'', ''
Smoke
Smoke is a suspension of airborne particulates and gases emitted when a material undergoes combustion or pyrolysis, together with the quantity of air that is entrained or otherwise mixed into the mass. It is commonly an unwanted by-product ...
'', ''
Stepmom'' and ''
Sherrybaby
''Sherrybaby'' is a 2006 American Drama (film and television), drama film written and directed by Laurie Collyer. Screened at the Sundance Film Festival on January 25, 2006, the film received a limited release in the United States on September 8, ...
''.
Hurst starred as Miss Claudette Pelage in the first season of the
Netflix
Netflix, Inc. is an American subscription video on-demand over-the-top streaming service and production company based in Los Gatos, California. Founded in 1997 by Reed Hastings and Marc Randolph in Scotts Valley, California, it offers a fil ...
comedy-drama series, ''
Orange Is the New Black
''Orange Is the New Black'' (sometimes abbreviated to ''OITNB'') is an American comedy-drama streaming television series created by Jenji Kohan for Netflix. The series is based on Piper Kerman's memoir '' Orange Is the New Black: My Year in a Wo ...
'' in 2013. This role earned Hurst, along with the main cast, a
Satellite Award for Best Cast – Television Series The Satellite Award for Best Cast (or Best Ensemble) – Television Series is one of the Satellite Awards given by the International Press Academy
The International Press Academy (IPA) is an American association of professional entertainment jour ...
. She left the show after a single season. On Christmas of 2013, she was seriously injured in a car accident. Hurst was placed in a 16-day coma so doctors could perform surgeries close to her spine.
In January 2015 Hurst appeared in the third series of the British television drama series ''
Last Tango in Halifax
''Last Tango in Halifax'' is a British comedy-drama series that began broadcasting on BBC One on 20 November 2012 until its final episode which was broadcast on 15 March 2020. Screenwriter Sally Wainwright loosely adapted the story of her mothe ...
.''
Filmography
Film
Television
References
External links
*
{{DEFAULTSORT:Hurst, Michelle
Living people
20th-century American actresses
21st-century American actresses
Actresses from New York City
American film actresses
American television actresses
African-American actresses
People from Brooklyn
Mount Holyoke College alumni
1953 births
20th-century African-American women
20th-century African-American people
21st-century African-American women
21st-century African-American people